


Match

by Kaerith



Series: Witcher Prompt One-Shots [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Jaskier | Dandelion Has Feelings, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaerith/pseuds/Kaerith
Summary: Geralt, like most witchers, doesn't hold out hope for finding his Match. He was raised being told that it would be impossible for him to identify his Match, so Geralt doesn't bother trying to make good first impressions with anybody.Jaskier, however, takes a different approach. He wants to be sure to find his Match quickly and conclusively, so he makes up all sorts of weird things to say upon meeting people. After he identifies the witcher Geralt of Rivia in a tavern in Posada he says something about having bread in his pants- which is unfortunately true.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher Prompt One-Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1791685
Comments: 18
Kudos: 472
Collections: Interesting Character and/or Interesting Relationship Development, Witcher Kink Meme (Dreamwidth)





	Match

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Witcher Kink Meme. Prompt: Soulmate AU. https://witcherkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/429.html?thread=388781#cmt388781

Geralt, like most witchers, doesn't hold out hope for finding his Match. "Thank you for saving my life" is something he has heard dozens of times but no one has ever said that his words matched theirs. Most other witchers have similar phrases; Eskel has "You're a witcher? Thank the gods!" and Lambert has "Lucky you were here," so they were raised being told that it would be impossible for them to identify their Match so they might as well just stay on the Path, so Geralt doesn't bother trying to make good first impressions with anybody.

Jaskier, however, takes a different approach. He doesn't want his Match to be one of those people with "Good morning," or "Lovely to meet you." He wants to be sure to find his Match quickly and conclusively, so he makes up all sorts of weird things to say upon meeting people. He knows that people's words aren't necessarily always the first ones spoken, so after he identifies the witcher Geralt of Rivia in a tavern in Posada he says something about having bread in his pants- which is unfortunately true, because the crowd did not give him coin, so he has to save the scraps of food they tossed at him in disdain, not appreciation.

He felt like he had to work extra hard, because "I suppose you're not that bad," wasn't the most unique phrase. And if Jaskier also tried to do everything well and with a sense of humor so that he could have his match say it in an either impressed or facetious tone instead of a begrudging one, that was his business.  
When Geralt heard his new, loud, annoying shadow say "Thank you for saving my life," he thought nothing of it. He had heard it literally dozens of times.

However, when Jaskier was sitting at a campfire with the witcher and his sexy, scary sorceress bondmate and performed his newest song about one of Geralt's soon-to-be legendary feats and heard Geralt say "I suppose you're not that bad," he chuckled. A little bitterly, maybe, but not to be mean to Geralt. He laughed because he remembered hoping the handsome and stoic witcher would say those exact words upon their first meeting and pitying the naive fool he had been.

"You couldn't've said that six years ago?" He said, tapping the left side of his ribcage where his Soulmark was. He tried to stop feeling sad and nostalgic by making a joke. "I certainly hope my Match has a better appreciation for my music than you when they say my words. I can't believe it took you six years to finally admit that my talent does something more to you than make your ears bleed."

Yennefer, however, wasn't looking amused. "Tell me bard, have you ever thanked Geralt for saving your life?"

Jaskier snorted. "Many times. I was raised to be polite and certainly would have said thank you every single time Geralt pulled me from the jaws of death."

"You tend to wander blindly into various jaws at least twice every season," Geralt grumbled.

The sorceress eyed Geralt without any amusement then turned back to Jaskier. "When was the first time he saved your life?"

Jaskier smiled at the memory. "Oh, what, our first afternoon together? I followed him from some small town because he was on a contract to find a devil. I was intrigued because I hadn't known such things existed!"

"They don't," Geralt cut in. "It was a sylvan. Working for rogue elves."

"Can you really call them 'rogue' when one of them was the elven king?" Jaskier wondered. "Certainly, by elf standards, they would be loyalists. It would only be humans who-"

"The first day?!" Yennefer said very loudly. The two men both looked at her in surprise as she seemed to be uncharacteristically upset. She leaned over to smack Geralt's head. "And it took you six years?!"

Geralt raised his arms to try to fend off her sudden flurry of bothersome attacks. "What?"

Jaskier, from across the fire, was equally taken aback. "What are you angry about?"

Yennefer gave up on trying to beat emotional fluency into the witcher and channeled her frustration into magicking a tree to explode not too far from their campsite. She watched both her companions jump in startled fear and felt a nice sense of vindication.

"My condolences," she said to Jaskier. "Even you don't deserve such a clod for a soul mate."

Jaskier shook his head. "If we said each other's words six years apart, that doesn't mean anything. It has to be the first meeting."

Geralt added, "I thought they were the first words exchanged."

Yennefer let herself drop her dignity to snort like a horse at their uneducated theories. "The words are the first ones your match says with true meaning and kindness. I can understand Geralt hearing his words enough to stop hoping he had met his match evey time he heard them, but I can't believe that he is such an emotional wasteland that it took him six years to say something to you that had sincere kindness behind it!" She looked disgusted. "I could sense your proto-bond the moment it snapped into existence just now." She stood up and brushed off her skirts. "Six years!" She shook her head and summoned a portal. "I can't stand you idiots."

Geralt quickly turned away when Jaskier's hurt, teary eyes looked at him. He swallowed against the lump in his throat.

"You... truly hated me this whole time?" Jaskier's voice was quiet and pained. Geralt tried to think of what to say that would make the bard feel better, but his mind felt too slow and his tongue was just a heavy weight in his mouth. Jaskier had turned away and was huddling into a ball.

"No," Geralt managed to say. "I just can't... say things well." He stood up and moved around the fire with his hand reaching out.

"Don't touch me!" Jaskier snapped, his face turning up to glare at the witcher. Geralt could see tears were running down his face. "Don't you dare complete the bond! Just saying the words isn't enough, so I can leave in the morning and you can forget about me being your Match."

Geralt knelt down, trying to figure out how to explain. "I'm broken. They told us we would never be able to find our soul mates and that it would be a blessing. I never learned to... share what I feel."

Jaskier wiped his eyes and gave a short, bitter chuckle. "You've told me for six years that you don't feel anything, so do you even have any feelings to share?"

"If we completed the bond, you could feel it," Geralt said, though he didn't put his hand out again without Jaskier's consent.

"If we completed the bond," Jaskier repeated, "You couldn't get rid of me. I would always be there and you would hate it."

"You wouldn't be able to leave," Geralt said.

"Exactly! That's what I just..." Jaskier let his sentence trail off because he belatedly registered that by Geralt's tone of voice the witcher was not agreeing with him, but having a revelation. "Wait. That makes you happy?"

Geralt had a look of profound awe on his face. "Even when you leave part of you would still be with me."

"When I leave?" Jaskier said. "Why would I leave? I mean, we might go our separate ways for some time, but I would plan on meeting back up with you." 

"You said you're leaving in the morning," Geralt pointed out.

"I thought that's what you wanted."

The witcher shook his head.

Jaskier threw his hands up. "I've loved you for years! You always were, 'go away Jaskier, we're not friends, I don't need anyone,' and I was supposed to somehow infer that you really meant the opposite!?"

Geralt shrugged. When Jaskier said it like that it did sound stupid.

Jaskier put his hands on his hips. "Say you love me and we can complete the bond."

Geralt momentarily froze before he reminded himself of what was at stake. It was easy; he had quietly longed for the miracle of meeting his Match while he had simultaneously thought it would never happen for nearly a century.

"Jaskier, I love you."

The bard's tears this time were accompanied with a broad smile. "I love you, too. Shall we complete the bond?" He held his hand out.

Geralt nodded and reached out to gently take it. Each man's consciousness suddenly expanded as the bond formed a two-way connection between them that let them know each other, feel each other, from the inside-out. A constant communication of emotions that couldn't be severed by distance or anger or fear.

Geralt could feel Jaskier's presence filling all the spaces inside of him that he thought were dead or empty. He was complete, and Jaskier would always be there- inside his mind and heart. He would never be alone again.


End file.
